Property tax information

Ownership changes

If you purchased property in the City of Ottawa you must ensure that your property and contact information is up-to-date with us. Your lawyer can notify the City by either sending an email at revenue@ottawa.ca or by way of a letter indicating the new owner’s information.

The city processes changes on a first in, first out basis & makes every attempt possible to have all changes on file processed before any billing period (i.e. Interim, Final & Supplemental Tax billing).

You will be notified of the change in our records. A change of name fee is charged on all changes of name please refer to Fees for more details.

More information on the timing and issuance of tax bills can be found in the ‘What’s New’ section of this web page.

Tax bill due dates

Regular:

Property owners will receive two property tax bills each year:

The Interim tax bill which represents 50% of the previous year’s tax bill is payable on the third Thursday in March

The Final tax bill is the balance of the year’s taxes and is payable on the third Thursday in June.

Legislative requirements are to provide a minimum of 21 days notice from the date of mailing.

Supplemental/Omitted:

Supplemental or Omitted Tax Bills are issued 3 or 4 times per year.

Properties assessed for new construction or improvements by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) will receive another tax bill for the current year and up to two preceding years. These tax bills, are issued within 90 days of receipt of data from MPAC and are payable in one instalment with 30 days notice.

Property owners receive a Notice of Assessment from MPAC in advance of these tax bills.

Reminder Notices:

Reminder Notices are issued on all overdue accounts after each billing and at the end of the year.A reminder notice fee may be applicable.

Tax classes and tax rates

Properties or portions of a property are classified according to the property's use. Each category represents a different tax class. In Ottawa there are 13 tax classes, residential making up 65% of the total tax revenue coming into the City. The other classes include Commercial, Office Building, Shopping Centre, Parking Lot, Industrial, Large Industrial, Multi-Residential, New Multi-Residential, Managed Forest, Farmland, Pipeline, and Professional Sports Facility. Municipal tax rates are set by local municipalities and may differ for each property class. Education tax rates are set by the Province. To request detailed tax rates, contact the Revenue Branch by:

Email: revenue@ottawa.caFax: 613-580-2457Phone: 613-580-2444 (Transactions will be recorded for training and verification purposes.)TTY: 613-580-2401

Also, for a rough estimate of what you could expect to see on your tax bill and/or supplementary/omitted tax bill, use the tax estimator on this site.

Tax Certificates

If an individual or lawyer wishes to obtain a Tax Certificate in order to determine if there are any outstanding property taxes at the time of closing a real estate transaction, they must complete and submit the attached “fillable on screen” Tax Certificate Request Form. There is currently a $69 fee applicable for each municipal property request. You may mail your completed form to:

If a cheque or money order is sent with your request, please make it payable to the “City of Ottawa”. We will make every attempt to provide your certificate within 3 business days of the receipt of your request (subject to sufficient information being provided and receipt of adequate payment). Within 30 days of the issuance of a tax certificate, the requesting party may obtain a verbal update of the status of the relevant tax roll.

Law firms already set up with a pre-paid tax certificate account in good standing may simply e-mail their request to TaxCertificate@ottawa.ca. For further information on how to be set up with a pre-paid tax certificate account, e-mail us your enquiry at TaxCertificate@ottawa.ca.

For those requesting a tax certificate that do not belong to a law firm, no Tax Certificate Account Code need be provided, but please still provide an e-mail address if you wish the tax certificate to be sent via e-mail as opposed to it being mailed out.

For more information, please call the Revenue Branch at: 613-580-2444.

Solid waste services

Residential garbage collection costs are recovered through a flat-fee user pay system based on service delivery. Curbside service is charged a rate of $84.00 per unit per year while Bin service is charged a rate of $41.00 per unit per year. For more information on solid waste, refer to Solid Waste Management Services.

Last updated: June 26, 2017

Fees

Refund: $27
A fee applies when producing a refund to cover the cost of refunding credits to clients when credits are not the result of an error by the City.

Change of name: $43
If you have changed your name, recently purchased, or transferred title, there is a fee to cover the costs associated with making the changes to the tax roll. You will be billed separately from your tax bill.

New account: $69
If your property is new to the tax roll, you will incur a one-time fee to cover the costs associated with setting up your tax roll. This fee will be charged on your first tax bill.

Returned payment: $44
If your payment is refused or dishonoured by your financial institution you will be charged a returned payment fee for each account the payment was originally applied to.

Reminder notice: $7.50
All tax accounts issued a reminder notice will be charged a fee to cover the production, mailing and administration costs. Reminder notices are issued after the due date for each billing and at year’s end.

Payment distribution: $43
If a payment has to be transferred from one account to another, a fee applies. If you have moved or you have more than one property tax account, you must ensure all your tax accounts have been individually set up for payments.

Online payment service:
The secure third-party payment service provider, Paymentus Corporation, charges a service fee for online payments using a credit card, Visa Debit or Interac Online banking card. A property tax payment under $25.00 is subject to a service fee of $0.50 and any property tax payment over $25.00 is subject to a service fee of 1.99% of the total payment.

Tax Arrears Certificate: $69
There is a fee to purchase a Tax Arrears Certificate. For details see the Tax Certificate page.

Additions to tax roll: $42
All water accounts left unpaid after the second consecutive billing will be transferred to the corresponding property tax account along with the additions to tax roll fee.

Account history: $37/year
Duplicate bill: $37/year
Should you require a record of payment of your annual tax bill or require a duplicate statement for previous years, a fee applies for each year and property. Your request can be sent by mail to Revenue Branch, 100 Constellation Drive, 4th Floor, East Wing, Ottawa ON K2G 6J8. Be sure to indicate; property address, roll number, name and the year required. Forms are located at all City of Ottawa Client Service Centres where payment for service can be made in person (please refer to CSC hours & day of operation).

Property Tax Deferral Application: $121
A $121 non-refundable is charged to the tax account upon receipt of the initial application.

Property Tax Deferral Renewal Application:
A non-refundable fee is charged to the tax account for subsequent year applications.

Penalty and interest: 1.25% per month
Penalty and interest of 1.25% for late payment is added the day following the due date and the first day of each month until the account is paid.

For more information, please call Revenue Branch at 613-580-2444 (Transactions will be recorded for training and verification purposes) (TTY 613-580-2401), or contact us by e-mail at revenue@ottawa.ca

Last updated: January 1, 2017

Tax FAQs

Where can I find the 23-digit account number for my financial institution's online banking?

The roll number shown on your tax bill is the account number that you will need to use. For our purposes, the only account reference needed can be found in the first 15 digits (starting with 0614). Different banks require different numbers of digits (ranging from 18 to 23). Generally, to match the number of digits required by your bank, you should enter extra zeroes at the end of your roll number until you meet the bank's requirements. If this does not work, contact your bank's helpdesk. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at revenue@ottawa.ca

Does the City of Ottawa have a list of properties being sold because of unpaid taxes?

The City does sell properties from time to time because of unpaid taxes. If there is a sale taking place, the list of properties will be advertised in the Ottawa Citizen and Le Droit. You can also check the Property Tax Sale Process section of this site.

Will my payment on the interim tax bill be credited towards my final taxes?

Yes. The interim billing is to be treated as a “payment on account” and will be deducted from the final billing.

What does the number to the right of my name on the tax bill mean?

It is a sequence number used for the printing and mailing function. It has no relevance to the taxpayer or the tax office.

The tax bill must be paid as issued. The Education Act allows the municipality 120 days from the date in which the Assessment Review Board decision is released to process an adjustment on an account before interest is paid. If an adjustment is not reflected on your final tax bill but is within the 120 days no interest will be paid. Once the adjustment has been calculated the amount will be applied to your tax account and a letter will be sent identifying the amount. The person entitled to receive the refund will have the option of leaving a credit on their account or having a refund issued.

Why are tax payments due mid-month, and what if I make a late payment?

Property tax due dates are approved every year by City Council. Since more than 240,000 tax accounts must be billed and their corresponding payments recorded in a short time period, the third Thursdays of March and June were chosen to ensure payments could be properly recorded and in the bank by month’s end. Payments after the due date are subject to a penalty of 1.25 per cent.

My mortgage company pays my taxes. Why did I receive a bill?

We have no record of your mortgage company on your account. Contact your bank for instructions. You should request that your bank contact us to ensure we record their interest on your account. This will ensure all future bills will be sent to them. To avoid a penalty on your account you should contact your bank immediately.

Why am I still getting a bill if I’m on a pre-authorized tax payment plan?

It depends on the type of pre-authorized payment plan you belong to. For example:

If your pre-authorized payment plan calls for two payments per year on the instalment due dates, the bill is sent to inform you how much will be deducted from your account on the due date. The stub portion of your bill should indicate that you are on pre-authorized payment plan. If it does not, please contact Revenue Branch at 613-580-2444 (Calls may be recorded) (TTY 613-580-2401) to ensure we have your proper information on your account.

if your pre-authorized payments are withdrawn monthly and you received a bill, please call Revenue Branch at 613-580-2444 (Calls may be recorded) (TTY 613-580-2401) to ensure we have the proper information on your account.

How much of the year does the interim tax cover?

The interim tax bill is a payment on account towards your annual taxes. It does not cover a specific period of time. This interim payment will be deducted from your final bill, which covers the calendar year when it is issued later.

Last updated: March 14, 2011

How your property taxes are calculated

Property taxes are calculated using the assessed value of the property determined by Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, (MPAC) multiplied by the municipal tax rates determined by City Council and the education rate determined by the Province.

Check out this short video about residential property taxes: How your property taxes are calculated